


Fishing for Love

by pureeddie



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: ALSO the Losers arent a thing, Dorks that fall in love too easily, Fluffy, Lifeguard! Bev, Lifeguard! Mike, Lifeguard!Bill, M/M, Mermaid! Stan, Pennywise is always excluded from our AU's so I will let him be the name of Eddie's fish, Richie and Eddie find him in Eddie's pool after a big storm, STAN HAS BLUE STREAKS IN HIS CURLY GOLDEN HAIR, STAN IS A COCKY LITTLE SHIT, Someone please help these silly boys, Stan is so damn beautiful that everyone may fall in love with him a lil bit, Stan's dad doesn't believe Humans can experience love (due to waste and littering they do to oceans), Stan's dad is the Sea Ruler of their region, Summertimeeee, They have three months (until summer ends) to accomplish Stan's goal, They'll eventually all meet, They're on summer break from college, angsty, eventual smut??
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-07-29 21:00:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16272245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pureeddie/pseuds/pureeddie
Summary: Stan was given this one chance, to prove to his father that humans aren’t as heartless as Merpeople make them out to be. Stan argues that they can feel love, true love. His father, the ruler of that sea region, gives Stan three months to prove this, no more and no less.If he cannot, he must go back home and be forced into an arranged marriage. On land, Stan meets two humans who accept the challenge of helping Stan find love. Of course, the attractive lifeguard is always crush-worthy.Basically Aquamarine AU but gay af. Stan is a mermaid and he befriends humans Eddie and Richie.





	1. Bae-watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Richie are at the beach, peeking at the hot lifeguard, Bill Denbrough.
> 
> SONG OF THE CHAPTER: Best Friend by Mellow Fellow

I like to experiment with weird ideas, and a mermaid Stan is one of them.

* * *

 

The waves were slushing in the distance, smacking onto the seashore’s wet sand, it was a nice noise to listen to. The heavy heat of the sun beating down on the earth felt good on Richie and Eddie’s faces. Except right now, it was directly hitting their backs due to the fact that they were spying on one of the cutest guys at their University.  
  
“Oh no, he got hotter,” Richie mumbled incredulously, as he and Eddie peeked over the side of their beach umbrella. Eddie swallowed in disbelief, his mouth going dry.  
  
“Shit, you’re right,” Eddie whispered loudly, gripping the edges of the colorful umbrella as he stared up to where the lifeguard sat, applying sunscreen to his legs.  
  
Richie looked over to his tan friend with a smile, watching him watch the lifeguard.  
  
“Never as hot as you, though,” Richie said smoothly.  
  
He watched with a smirk as Eddie shake his head and rolled his pretty eyes, not even looking at him.  
  
Though Richie would never say aloud, he secretly meant it. Eddie, of course, was used to Richie’s flirting and brushed it off as a sheer act of affection in a strange yet platonic way. Whatta jokester Eddie must think of him.  
  
Seeing Eddie’s side profile let Richie admire his sloped, little nose that had the cutest freckles. The slightest pink color spread across the bridge of that said nose and unto to his cheeks. Eddie rarely burned in the sun, only in cute places like his blush area. But not Richie. Richie was a fucking vampire and he burned anywhere the sun found it’s light too, luckily, he was pretty generous with sunscreen so sunburn didn’t happen as much.  
  
“Seriously though, can he be more perfect? I mean, we said that last year yet here we are looking at a more perfect form of perfect,” Eddie rambled out without breathing despite his asthma.  
  
Richie was playing with the hem of his swimming trunks mindlessly, as he waited for Eddie to continue his little rant. These rants happened a lot, Richie usually always taking part in that rant, too. But today he felt strange, he didn’t care so much for the lifeguard. He was distracted by the asthmatic boy instead.  
  
“Richie?” Eddie questioning voice took Richie’s attention away from his Hawaiian flowered swimwear and to Eddie’s soft, yet concerned eyes.  
  
Richie lowered his gaze to find that Eddie was biting his nails, a nervous tick that drove Richie crazy in all the right ways. Richie nervously looked back up into Eddie’s eyes, making himself grin.  
  
Yeah, he thought Mr. Lifeguard was hot and all.  
  
But again- Eddie was hotter.  
  
“M’Sorry was daydreaming about you,” Richie muttered as he adjusted himself on the orange and yellow blanket they were on, reaching over to the cooler for a coke bottle. Eddie groaned and fully turned towards Richie as he opened the coke and took a sip.

“Stop being weird and just tell me what you’re thinking!” Eddie said, stretching his tan legs out and looking up at him in excitement.  
  
Richie lifted the bottle to his lips again but halted when making eye contact with the shorter boy.  
  
I just did, Richie thought sourly but realized Eddie was asking about what he thought of the hunk they actually came here to watch and gawk over.  
  
Richie leaned back still sipping his soda to look past their umbrella once again, his eyes fell on the boy they have fawned over since Freshman year of High school. Now that they were in college, Denbrough really had gotten grown into his cute features and turned them handsome.

His straight hair shined in the sun from water, his bright blue eyes were vivid even from farther away. There was no denying that the lifeguard that was more perfect than perfect. The one and only Bill Denbrough.  
  
Richie smiled a little, coming back forward, finishing his chug he just took of his soda. He then glanced towards Eddie, who was patiently waiting for his answer. Richie let out a refreshed noise because it was so cold and nice compared to how he felt at the moment. Eddie let out a little, bubbled giggle and Richie lifted a brow. Eddie blinked expectantly. Richie sighed, before leaning in closer to the latter.

“Yes Eds, I know Bill is a God among men,” Richie watched Eddie’s smile fall, and eyes widen.  
  
“Oh God, I never thought of it that way but yes,” Eddie laid completely on his back and covered his face, fanboying. Richie can feel the smile he’s hiding beneath his small hands.  
  
Richie felt his lips pull into a smile at the sight of Eddie embarrassed by his own feelings. It made Richie’s chest warm from the inside.  
  
“Aside from Billy boy over on his throne, what else did you wanna talk about?” Richie inquired, remembering Eddie specifically told him he had news. Richie brought the bottle to his lips to finish the remaining liquid cancer inside it.  
  
“Oh yeah!” Eddie shot upright so fast, Richie inhaled in surprise and choked on his drink. Eddie squealed at the feeling of soda splashing his face.  
  
“Ew! You spit on me!” Eddie complained loudly, Richie still coughing through the soda that had gone down the wrong pipe. Eddie looked down at his chest disgustingly, his arms frozen in a strange position that made him look like he was going to uncomfortably hug someone. Richie was rolling on his back now as he let out a specifically loud cough, that turned into a hearty laugh. The laugh made Eddie’s heart stutter.  
  
“You fucking... “Richie started, but couldn’t quite gather the words. He settled on a middle finger to Eddie and a smile, before playing dead and going limp. His black curls messily fall on the blanket below him and his lips parted slightly, Eddie tried not to stare. He awkwardly shifted, sitting on his legs in anticipation for Richie to not play dead like a moron.

“Everything alright over here?” A voice questioned, the worry was present in their tone. Eddie’s eyes widened as Richie’s eyes snapped open.  
  
No fucking way, Richie thought.  
  
Eddie saw legs by Richie’s shoulder and slowly followed them up a torso and to the face of Bill Denbrough. Eddie felt himself start to sweat, not from heat but from nerves. Bill looked down into Eddie’s doe eyes and felt himself smile at the surprise on the short boy’s face.  
  
“Everything is dandy, lifeguard sir. Just deep throating my soda bottle,” Richie spoke first like the dirty boy he was, his voice scratchy from coughing. Eddie, even though Bill was in their presence, felt his heart stop at the sound of Richie’s rough sounding voice and his vulgar word choice, yet another heat traveling up his neck. All this was overwhelming.

Richie was struggling to sit up, when Bill bent down to help him, unfazed by his silly response. Richie’s breath stopped for a second, because Bill’s hand was so firm on his waist, making Richie feel small. Richie looked up, squinting from sunlight, just to see how attractive Bill’s face is up close. It was very attractive. Especially that friendly smile. Maybe Eddie had a valid argument to Bill being perfect. Eddie’s hypothesis seemed to have tested true. Richie decided that Bill was the type of person anyone could fall for.  
  
“Just m-making sure y-you two are d-doing okay. T-that’s my job,” Bill spoke for the first time, Richie nor Eddie ever hearing his voice so clearly before, and he has to say the stutter he had only made him cuter. Eddie seemed to wordlessly agree, Richie guessed by the small giggle he let out at Bill’s heroic words.  
  
Richie finally was sitting up when Bill stood tall again, truly looking like a god with the sun behind him. The fact that he was standing when both Richie and Eddie sat helped him with that image, too.  
  
“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Richie said, and he meant it because it was nice that Bill not only cared for people in the water but out of it as well.  
  
“Anytime,” Bill lopsidedly smiled at them, before turning back to walk towards his throne like the king he was. Eddie and Richie couldn’t help but follow his form, as he boyishly walked towards a redheaded lifeguard. She grinned mischievously at Bill and Richie could tell her eyes probably gleamed behind those shades of hers.  
  
“Wow,” Eddie breathed out, the air hitting Richie’s neck due to Eddie trying to get a good look at Bill. Richie bit his lip to hold in a gasp at the breath on his neck and felt his face flush a bit.  
  
“Tell me about it,” He said quietly.


	2. Summer Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Richie end their daily hangout with a sleepover like they always do during Summertime.   
> But a storm is brewing, for better or worse. 
> 
> SONG OF THE CHAPTER: Sign of the Times | next door audio with rain & thunder  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_YXlaFVuo4&list=PLmPnJdOKVBMqqEe8mRKWLj-i4mwEZ7stw

* * *

 

 

“So my mom totally raided my room last night, I know I sleep like a baby but when I woke up it was almost too clean, ya know?” Eddie explained, licking on his vanilla ice cream. Richie swirled his ice cream in his mouth, raising an eyebrow.

 

“What the hell?” Richie knew Eddie’s mother was Physco with a capital P, so this wasn’t too shocking.

 

“What do you think she’s looking for?” Richie turned his head to look at Eddie’s annoyed expression, feeling irritated with Sonia himself. 

 

Eddie rolled his eyes, focusing ahead. “I don’t know, anything that can implicate you to be a bad influence I guess,” He let out a dry laugh.

 

“Hey! I’m not so bad, I don’t shoot heroin,” Richie mumbled, placing his ice cream cone far into his mouth before twisting it around.

 

Eddie grinned at his comment and opened his mouth to speak, but once his eyes landed on how Richie was occupied with his ice cream cone, he tore his eyes away before his mind drifted to a more sexual place then he wanted it to be. 

 

“Yeah? Well, maybe she just wanted to see if she could find any more dirty magazines,” Eddie glared over at Richie, who had ice cream dripping down his fingers. The heat was way too heavy and suffocating to enjoy ice cream in. It was more like a race to finish it before the sun damned it all to hell. 

 

“I already said sorry for that. It must’ve fallen outta my bag!” Richie defended, throwing up his free arm. 

 

Eddie rolled his eyes and mocked him, “Blah, blah, blah. All the excuses I’ve heard before,” He remembered when his mom had cleaned his room after a sleepover with Richie. 

 

He was scared shitless when his mother barged into the bathroom during his morning shower, shrillingly screaming about how ‘she never thought her baby boy could have such sinful material’. 

 

Confused, anxious, and soaking wet, Eddie narrowed his eyes on a certain playboy magazine his mother was failing around. It was Richie’s, but of course, he was no tattle-tale. He lied and said he’d gone to the library and brought it home by accident. 

  
‘It must’ve gotten mixed up with my books,’ was the only thing he could think of. His mother wasn’t really buying it but believed him purely to rest her mind about the situation. 

 

He had been grounded for a month after that. Surely, his mother believed it was him and hadn’t thought it as Richie’s doing. Richie put on a perfect act in front of his mother. She didn’t love Richie, but she didn’t hate him either. 

 

“Why even bring it to a sleepover you numbskull? What do you do when I’m asleep? Jerk it?” Eddie quickly accused, irritation from his past consequence arising once again. 

  
“I just had it, okay? I use the same bag for everything, you know that,” Richie brushed it off, recognizing that Eddie wasn’t actually upset. Eddie let off steam by roasting Richie, and Richie didn’t mind it as long as Eddie (in the long run) was still his best friend. 

 

“Well, I’m doing bag checks when you come over. If I find anything in there to incriminate  _ me _ further as a pervert, you won’t be permitted inside,” Eddie raised his eyebrows, satisfied with his newly-set rules as he pointed at Richie bag. Richie complied, nodding along with Eddie’s plan. 

 

“If it makes you feel better, then sure,” 

“Of course it’ll make me feel better you asswipe,”

 

They arrived at Richie’s house, icecreams and energy all gone. 

 

“It’s too damn hot out, I don’t even want to go to the beach party on Saturday,” Richie groaned out, stretching on his dark purple bed sheets.

  
“Are you insane? Sure, it’s blazing outside. I agree that the more we stay outside, the more likely we are to have skin cancer.  _ However _ ,” Eddie elongated, leaning towards Richie. Richie leaned back, curious to see Eddie’s reason to risk being burned sick. 

 

“We need things like this. A party on the beach? Come on, you know Bill will be there,” Eddie concluded, bouncing happily up and off the bed to look out Richie’s bedroom window and out towards the beach. 

 

Richie lived literally where sand became concrete and Richie got the feeling it was one of Eddie’s favorite things about sleeping over so much. They could see the back of Bill’s head if they squinted from his window. 

 

“Okay,  _ Bill smill _ , what’s the big deal? He’s there every day. We could see him whenever,” Richie argued, but not caring enough to actually get annoyed. 

 

“Excuse me, not only will Bill be there. Anybody could be there,” Eddie gaze turned to Richie, hopeful and bright. 

 

“Even Santa? Didn’t think he’d enjoy this kind of weather. Hm,” Richie joked, mocking Eddie mindlessly. 

 

“Fuck you, number one. And number two, Santa isn’t real. Like our  _ social lives _ ,” Eddie moved his hands like he was hoping Richie would understand what he was getting at. Of course, Richie didn’t like to play along with logic. 

 

“Pff, who needs one of those? I like to go to the beach for a while, come back, watch movies until it’s dark, and then swim in my pool before bed,” Richie folded his arms behind his head and splayed his legs out, looking smugly at Eddie. Eddie didn’t seem pleased. 

 

“Don’t get me wrong, Chee, I love to do that with you. But we do it  _ every day _ ,” 

 

“You know it,” Richie winked, causing Eddie to get flustered for just a split second, before shooing off Richie’s attempt to distract him. 

 

“This beach party is a chance to put ourselves out there, even if it ends up being just me and you dancing by the end of the night, at least it’s something new,” Eddie had a gleam in his pretty, brown eyes that made Richie feel like it was only right to say yes. 

 

Richie watched Eddie watching him for a few seconds longer since anticipation was Richie’s go-to gimmick before he miserably gave-in to Eddie’s demands. 

 

“Fine, I’ll go,” Richie finally said with a big sigh, making Eddie burst out in glee. 

 

“Yes! Ohmygod, I’m so excited, Rich. What should I wear? I mean, I’ve been thinking about what I should wear since I saw the damn flyers for the party, but now that it’s official, I really need to get my shit in order,” Eddie rambled on and on about all different types of clothes, what songs might play that night, and whether or not they’ll meet anyone new. 

 

Richie doubted they’d have a good time, especially if the Bowers Gang would be there, but he smiled silently at Eddie anyway, enamored at how much passion was in warmly packed in that little body of his. 

 

Nighttime came in a flash, as they finished up their second movie. Richie heard that it was drizzling outside, it started maybe by the middle of their current movie. But now, it sounded much harder. 

 

“Jeez, what the hell pissed mother nature off,” Richie joked around, looking over to his window, before turning back to Eddie. The smaller boy shrugged, before standing up to take a look. 

 

“Damn, Rich, I don’t think we’ll be able to swim tonight. The rain’s coming down like bullets out there,” Richie looked over to see Eddie crouched down a bit to peer out his window. The scene made Richie smile softly, even with the bad news. 

 

“Ah, no worries, Eds. We swim every day, remember? One swim-free day won’t hurt,” Eddie looked back as Richie finished his statement, giving him a small smile.

 

“How ‘bout another movie?” Eddie questioned, trying to cheer Richie up. Another movie sounded pleasant.

 

But what wasn’t pleasant was that within the first 20 minutes of the movie, the lights throughout the house flickered, causing Eddie to shoot up from his resting position. 

 

“What the hell?” Eddie voiced nervously, looking over at Richie, who was still lazily resting next to him. The only sound was the T.V and the horrendous rain smacking against Richie’s window. 

 

“Calm down, Eds, it’s probably just a surge in the wire from the rain outside,” Richie explained, trying to comfort the Kaspbrak boy. However, before Richie could reach over and touch Eddie’s shoulder, the lights went out, including the television. 

 

Richie was now alarmed as Eddie gasped, and jumped closer to him, grabbing onto Richie’s arm. 

 

“What in the actual-” thunder interrupted Richie’s thought, causing both of them to jump slightly. They looked over at the window, too see a fuzzy dark sky, rain erratically being thrown all around, harshly hitting the glass of Richie’s window. 

 

It was like a horror film, except the murderer hasn’t arrived yet. 

 

“Rich, I don’t like this,” Eddie mumbled, moving away from Richie’s warmth to find his phone. The absence of Eddie’s body made Richie uneasier than before, so he cautiously followed the mere shadow that was Eddie.

 

He looked over Eddie’s shoulder to see the shorter boy with what looked like the outline of his cellphone in hand. 

 

“Jesus, my mom is going to have a cow knowing I’m not home during a storm like this,” Eddie’s voice was low, but Richie heard him and with the blinding brightness of two suns, Eddie’s phone unlocked in Richie’s face. 

 

“Shit,” Richie retreated a few steps back at the loud light, hearing a half-hearted “Sorry,” from Eddie. 

 

“Where did a storm even come from? The news just said sunny clouds and some light drizzling. How could they not predict  _ this _ ?” Eddie complained, the technology adding highlights and shadows to his features. Richie moved around Eddie and towards his door. 

 

The thunder boomed once again, causing Eddie to wearily eye Richie’s movements.

 

“Give ‘em a break Ed-pectation, they can’t predict everything,” Richie light-heartedly added, looking back to see Eddie trying to focus his eyes on him. 

 

“Uh, yes, they can, Richie. That’s the whole point of a weather person’s job,” Eddie was growing impatient with the situation and seemingly Richie’s humor. 

 

Richie halted his steps to turn and face Eddie, who seemed to be texting. His mom, Richie presumed, sighing slightly, before turning back to the door. 

 

“I’ll go see if my mom is trying to fix the lights,” Richie gave him, in which Eddie looked up to protest, but as Richie’s hand reached the handle, the door swung open, causing Richie to jump back in fright with a piercing scream. Eddie let out a gasp and he watched Richie fall, a circle of light shining from the doorway.

 

“Woah Nelly! You two okay in here?” It was Richie’s father, to Eddie and Richie’s relief. 

  
“Jesus Christ, Dad, are you trying to give me a stroke?” Richie hollered half-humored while still laying on the floor. 

 

“I don’t think being a scaredy cat is a symptom of a stroke, but nice try,” Eddie voiced, walking closer to the Tozier men. 

 

Mr. Tozier chuckled deeply, walking in a step further, shining his light rapidly on Richie. 

 

“Oooh! Imma ghost!” He mocked Richie playfully, and Richie cringed up at him, as Wentworth tried to tickle the young boy. 

 

Eddie’s vision in the dark adapted enough to see faces, and he watched the two go back and forth for a few more seconds, wondering if he would have been doing that with his own father if not him passing away. 

 

As the thunder sounded through the air again, Mr. Tozier helped his pathetic son up from the floor, and the lights flickered back on. 

 

They celebrated, thanking the Gods that Mrs.Tozier was the branded electrician in the family. Maggie has the housework, Wentworth has the kitchen. Strange, but maybe that’s why Richie was a well-rounded kid. 

 

“Well, I’ll see you kiddos tomorrow morning, makin’ pancakes. Don’t miss it!” Wentworth encouraged them to wake up early by making undeniably delicious breakfasts. It always worked. 

 

“Can’t wait,” Eddie eagerly said with a smile, sitting back down in his designated movie-watching spot.  

 

“Please make them chocolate-chip this time,” Richie sung out, as his father rolled his eyes with a soft grin before shutting the door. 

 

Richie sighed loudly, maybe in relief, before plopping down messily next to Eddie. 

 

“Wanna keep watching where we left off?” The curly haired boy questioned, pursing his lips at Eddie. 

 

Eddie’s eyes flickered towards those pretty lips for a millisecond before snuggling backwards into his spot with a nod of the head. 

 

“Netflix is blessed for starting where you left off, huh?” 


	3. Lurking in the Depths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning comes in a calm, blue sky.   
> The boys decide to go for a swim in Richie's pool. 
> 
>  
> 
> SONG OF THE CHAPTER: Past Lives by BORNS

The next morning, the sky was a blinding blue color. It was one of the prettiest skies Richie has ever seen, and since they didn’t swim last night, Eddie thoughtfully suggested that they swim after breakfast.

They agreed to do so, just because it was too good of a day to pass up, they both got their swimming trunks on.

Now, Richie’s pool was the first thing you see when you look out Richie’s window. It was in the front of the house, and the closest part of Richie’s estate to the beach itself.

They could swim in chlorine water and smell the beach as if they were in the ocean. A much safer version, Eddie might say.

Richie jumped into the pool immediately, into the cool water he went with a classic catapult. Of course he had to run before doing so, like a moron.

Eddie, before going in, looked over the railings of the front porch that was built around the pool.

He narrowed his eyes as he saw (and heard) various sounds and people on the beach.

It was odd to him that the beach was even open since a storm had passed through just the night before. But nonetheless, they’d probably go down to the beach after their swim to dry off and get a peek at Bill again.

Eddie mindlessly looked at Richie’s figure under the water, black hair floating up. The pool went as deep as 12 feet and as shallow as 3 ft. Richie had made it to the middle of the pool by running.

As Richie’s head rose above the water, gasping for air, Eddie began to walk to the more shallow end of Richie’s huge pool. He preferred a more humane way of entering the pool than Richie; of course, going gracefully down the concrete stairs.

As he did, however, he looked in the deeper water and saw something strange. A shadow, deep and dark.

But it wasn’t from Richie, which made Eddie think a fish or something might’ve gotten in.

He squinted, looking closer behind Richie to how big the fish was.

When he saw the shadow move, his eyes widened in fear that is was a shark since it was huge and headed towards Richie.

“Get out, there is something in the pool!” Eddie shrieked, freaking out behind his mind since both Richie’s parents had already left for work and couldn’t come and help.

Eddie watched helplessly as Richie stupidly look behind him, just to see exactly what Eddie saw, and frantically rushing towards the steps on the shallow end.

“Hurry up, Richie! Come on!”

“What the fuck!” Richie yelled out, voice cracking, and Eddie ran down the steps and into the water to help pull Richie out, ignoring the sudden cold temperature on his legs.

Between the splashing and terrified yelling, Eddie managed to get Richie out.

They laid on the deck, shell-shocked at what just happened.

“Why didn’t you fucking move after I told you? You just stood there like a dumbass to look around instead of trying to get out!” Eddie scolded Richie for being so slow about removing himself from the water.

He was worried about Richie, in all honesty. He was filled with fear and panic like he never had been in his entire life.

Richie was breathlessly gasping for air as if he never swam faster in his life. Knowing Richie, he probably never had.

As he heard splashing in the pool, Eddie looked over alertly, jumping back slightly at the very noise. Richie quickly sat up too, and Eddie could hear how hard he was breathing.

“What is it?” Richie’s voice was small and broken into breaths, making Eddie think humorlessly how he thought he was supposed to be the one with asthma, not Richie.

“I have no idea. Worst thought came to me when I saw how big it was, I immediately thought-”  
“-Shark,” Richie finished, nodding furiously in agreement.

Eddie felt a strange dread wash over him, thinking about how Richie must’ve been swimming for his life if he thought it was a shark, too.

And Eddie could only put himself in those shoes, thinking his legs weren’t as long as Richie’s, and how he’d probably he near-to-dead if he had jumped into the pool instead.

Another loud splash sounded in the pool area, making Eddie jump again. But Richie felt braver, now out of the water and breathing regularly, and he slowly stood up to peer into the pool.

“It’s not a shark, it looks like a whale,” Richie said weirdly, making Eddie’s face break into a look of bewilderment.

“What?”

Eddie stood quickly, to see what Richie was talking about.

The tail didn’t look like a shark since sharks move back and forth in the water.

It was a tail that needed to swim up and down to move. Strangely, they couldn’t see the top of the body. It was as if the creature was facing it’s back towards them, moving directly into the wall of the deep side.

“Whales aren’t that small,” Eddie reasoned, curiously staring at the almost gleaming azure tail.

“Aw, what if it’s a baby whale?” Richie cooed as if he hadn’t just had a near-death experience 2 minutes ago.

“You idiot, it’s not a whale. It’d be bigger if it were,” Eddie scoffed, mostly irritated with how much Richie doesn’t care about his own well being. Richie should be upset right now, and inside, waiting for his parents to come home while Eddie made him a warm cup of coffee to cope.

But, no, instead, Richie Tozier is trying to get the unknown sea-creature to swim towards them as if it’s a cat. Eddie raised an eyebrow at the cooing noises that left the Tozier boy’s mouth.

“Well, what else has a tail like a whale?” Richie fiercely challenged, looking over at Eddie with crossed arms.

“Dolphins?” Eddie dumbly replied, thinking that was the only other animal he could think of that has a tail that swam up and down. Richie, though, looked bright-eyed at the idea.

“If it were a shark, it would’ve eaten me when I was holding my breath! Dolphins are cute,” Richie smiled as if struck by an epiphany. An epiphany he took as an answer and began to walk down the steps. Eddie grabbed his forearm almost immediately, anger and fear rushing through his veins.

“Are you fucking crazy?”   
“What, you said it was a dolphin,”  
“I didn’t say anything, it was a theory,”   
“Well, your theory sounds good enough,”   
“So you’re just gonna take a dip while that thing is in the water? Are you fucking kidding me?”   
“Don’t dare me, I’ll do it,”  
“You’ve got to be kidding me, get your ass off those steps and inside,”

  
“I dare you,” An unknown voice rose to the boys' ears, causing Eddie to look towards the beach and Richie to look towards the door. When they found no sign of anybody they instinctively looked at the pool.

There was a boy, who looked about their age, swimming right above the unknown creature.

Eddie yelped as Richie pointed at the boy. Half his face was under the water, and Eddie could barely see his face.

“Dude, get out of there! There’s something in the water!” Richie totally disregarded the fact that a complete stranger was in the pool just to tell the poor guy about an uncertain danger.

Eddie couldn’t have been prouder, and more freaked out.

As the boy pushed his tan arms up over the surface, his upper body was revealed. He had a sharp chin that ended his handsome face. His hair was a curly, golden brown, yet had beautiful electric blue streaks curling through it. His eyes were light colored, but not light enough to see from this far.

“I said hurry! The fish is moving!” Richie hollered at the boy once again, but the boy looked taken aback rather than afraid. He looked down under into the water, and then back at Richie.

“I am not a fish,” The stranger’s alluring voice rose louder, in an odd way that made it seem like he didn’t understand why Richie was screaming at him, so he thought he’d raise his own volume.

Eddie looked at Richie to see his reaction because Eddie had no words. He didn’t know what to think, except for the fact that the boy who somehow silently entered Richie’s pool was beyond gorgeous. Richie’s eyebrows were scrunched together, confusion and anxiety washed over him.

“You’ve gotta get out, it might hurt you,” Eddie offered quickly, almost wishing he never even spoke at all once the boy’s intimidating eyes landed on him. His pretty face lit up at the very mention of an ‘it’.

“Oh, you mean this?” His voice was like velvet, with a false-coy tone wrapped around it. Out of nowhere, the tail of the monster in the water jumped out and over the surface to splash back down.

Richie nearly fell from the shock, and Eddie couldn’t help but jump away himself.  
  
“Dude, it’s gonna get you, you’re too close!” Richie warned, by the boy simply rolled his eyes, letting out a laugh. It was a very pretty sound, one that almost put all other pleasant noises to shame.

As the boy swam closer, so did the fish.

“It’s following you,” Eddie observed, seeing that if the boy was there so long without being attacked, that it couldn’t be any real harm.

“Of course it is, it always does. Do your legs follow you?” The boy sarcastically asked, looking down at their feet. Richie walked a few steps while watching his feet, before looking back at the boy.

“No shit, they’re attached to me,” Richie grinned as the boy got closer, Eddie began to put pieces together as the water became shallower and shallower, watching the said fish come closer.

The pieces seemed impossible to fit, but here they were and there he was. It didn’t seem like there was a fish at all. It looked like the tail was connected to the boy himself.

“Well, my tail is attached to me too, obviously,” The golden boy responded, reaching the steps and folding a shimmering blue tail over towards his back. Eddie, for a second, believed it to be a costume. It had to be. Nothing else could explain it.

“What the fuck,” Richie breathed out, slowly crouching down to look at the boy in closer range. The boy watched Richie’s every movement in pure adoration, fond of the way Richie gawked at the scales and color.

“It isn’t polite to stare,” The boy smugly responded, glimpsing up at Eddie with the same energy.

“Is it a costume?” Eddie asked, for some strange reason believing that it wasn’t, due to the boy’s odd behavior and what seemed like complete genuinity.

“If it were, I was born with a costume on,” he responded simply, looking down at his own tail.

“Can I touch it?” Richie asked, already having a hand raised to touch it.

The boy raised a brow, looking at Eddie as if Richie asked him to marry.

“We’ve only just met,” The golden boy replied, not understanding Richie’s interest. Richie must’ve made a disappointed face, since the other boy’s face softened and curtly nodded.

Eddie wouldn’t know what Richie had done since all he’s been doing for the last few minutes is stare at the stranger with a tail in Richie’s pool.

“On one condition,” The boy bargained, propping himself up to sit on his bottom, tail laid out down the stairs and into the shallow water. Eddie and Richie waited for the condition, too bamboozled to even reply.

“I’m hungry. In order to touch, you must feed me,” The boy announced, throwing up his arms as if servants are waiting on his every beckon and call. Eddie got the feeling that feeding the boy would lead them further into strange situations. Eddie wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

 


	4. Heads or Tails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Richie encounter Stan, a mermaid on a mission. 
> 
> SONG OF THE CHAPTER: The Chain by Fleetwood Mac

* * *

 

“I have pancakes,” Richie shrugged, looking at Eddie for reassurance in his offer. Eddie wearily looked into Richie’s eyes, trying to communicate his worry and confusion. Richie seemed to understand, but looked back at the boy as if to say ‘but he’s a mermaid’. 

 

“Any food will be fine,” The boy seemed confused himself as if he didn’t know what the hell Richie was talking about. Maybe this kid was a big faker who was pulling some shitty prank on two losers like them. Or maybe, in an extremely unlikely event, he was actually a mermaid. 

 

Eddie wanted proof. Anything that was unexplainable by known-science. Anything to think this wasn’t a dream or some dumb act. This was downright ridiculous. 

 

“Deal. Pancakes for your tail,” Richie nodded, moving closer to the boy below them. 

 

The boy vivaciously flicked his blue tail at Richie slightly, water drops reaching their faces. Eddie wiped them off instinctively as Richie laughed, before reaching further to touch the blue, glittering tail. 

 

The strange boy looked like he was holding his breath, his gaze reaching Eddie’s eyes just before Richie touched him. 

 

“Wait,” The boy said, still focused on Eddie, who had also crouched down to look. 

 

“Hm?” Richie simply asked, looking up at the boys face and then to Eddie’s. His hand was hovering in place over the shining tail.

 

“Aren’t you gonna touch, too?” The boy said the words so softly as if he were almost bashful about the whole ordeal. Eddie didn’t know why, but the tone made his cheeks grow warm. 

 

“Do you want me to?” Eddie asked, unsure that if he was a mermaid, would he even want two dumb humans trying to prove him to be just a myth. 

 

“Why not?” The boy questioned, nodding his head towards the tail. Richie smiled at Eddie, almost to say ‘If we feel it, we’ll know it’s fake’. Eddie agreed, but he feared that wasn’t the case. 

 

Richie and Eddie’s hand touched the tail, that was as slimy and the exact texture as the fish Eddie caught with Richie on their fishing trip last summer. They threw the fish back, of course. 

 

Eddie’s hand jerked away almost the moment he touched it, while Richie’s hand lingered for a few more seconds. 

 

“Holy shit,” Eddie nearly whispered, by the boy seemed to hear him clearly. 

 

“What’s the matter? Scared that it’s real?” The boy almost seemed to mock him, but in a playful manner that reminded Eddie well of his own best friend right beside him. 

 

“You’re a mermaid?” Richie asked, shock filling his expression along with excitement. It made a cute face concoction if Eddie was honest. 

 

“Mermaid, merman, mer, anything you would like, really,” The boy sighed, sliding his tail back down into the water. Eddie took note of it since it was almost like he needed to cool off from all the air exposure. 

 

“Can I call you Siren?” Richie grinned, almost earning a look of offense from the blue-tailed boy. 

 

“No, you may not. My name is Stanley,” The boy, well, Stanley said, his moment of disdain gone in an instant, Eddie thought the boy must be rather forgiving. 

 

“Stan the merman,” Richie winked, nudging Eddie’s shoulder as he chuckled. The boy looked confused at the contact, but content with the name. 

 

“I’m Richie,” The dark-haired boy introduced, holding out his hand to Stan. Stan eyed the hand weirdly, looking at Eddie for an explanation until placing his own in Richie’s. Richie shook their hands, as Stan watched flabbergasted. 

 

“Why are our hands dancing?” Stan asked diligently as if it weren’t a wild thing to ask. Eddie supposed it wasn’t, wherever Stan came from. 

 

“It’s a formal way to say hello, but, like, physically,” Eddie helped, causing the boy to direct his sharp gaze on him instead of Richie. The boy let go out Richie’s hand and moved closer to Eddie. 

 

“I’ve met born-to-be-a-merman-Richie, so who are you?” Stan asked, making Richie laugh loudly, clapping his hands together. 

 

“My name’s Eddie,” he tried to keep a confident voice, it isn’t every day you introduce yourself to a creature you didn’t know existed until this morning. 

 

“Hm, I see. Savior Eddie,” Stan smiled, looking over at Richie after Eddie’s hand danced with Stan’s wet one. 

 

It was strange to be called savior, but Richie received a weirder title, so Eddie couldn’t complain. 

 

“So, wanna help me out?” Stan asked, holding his arms up. Richie and Eddie swapped looks, knowing they were both confused as to why he needed to be out of the pool. 

 

“Um, don’t you need water to live?” Richie quirked up, grabbing onto Stan’s upper arm anyway. Eddie followed suit, as they began to help Stan up and onto the deck. 

 

“Not when I have legs,” Stan answered as if it was the simplest thing to understand, but the vagueness was killing Richie. 

 

“Legs? Like you’ll have them if you’re out of water?” Richie grunted out as they both struggled to lift the merman out of the water. 

 

“Yes, that’s what father said.,” Stan spoke so openly as if they both knew what he was talking about. Maybe they didn’t even need to ask questions, Stan would just let out all the answers on his own accord. 

 

“Your father? You have one of those?” Richie asked as they finally got Stan onto a towel resting on the floor. The deck was now too hot to lay directly on, and Eddie worried Stan’s tail might be too sensitive to the heat. 

 

“I’m not algae,” Stan gave Richie a look, before breaking into a grin. He pointed to Eddie’s towel that was hanging off a deck chair, so Eddie reached for it before handing it to him. Stan smiled a thank you at him. 

 

“My father is the King of your region,” Stan casually answered, before wiping his tail vigorously with Eddie’s towel, as if to get drier. 

 

“Woah, wait _King_?” Richie shot back as soon as Stan finished.

 

“You talk a lot,” Stan suddenly said deadpanned to Richie, continuing his rubbing. Richie suddenly looked dumbstruck, looking over at Eddie who couldn’t help but let out a cackle.

 

“What?” Richie demanded at Eddie, who had his hand over his mouth. 

 

“Nothing, it’s just even a mermaid knows you’re a trashmouth,” Eddie laughed out, shaking his head as Richie falsely glared and nodded at Eddie. 

 

“Oh, yeah, let it out. All that hidden lust for me will come out sometime in between those stupid snorts,” Richie insulted at Eddie, whose laughter was cut short by a cringe. 

 

“Ew, you perv,” Eddie reached behind Stan to hit Richie’s arm, as the latter grinned mischievously. 

 

Stan had slowed his rubbing to admire their human interaction. He found himself smiling up at the other two, curious to know if this is how humans show each other affection. 

 

Eddie let himself slip a smile before trying to wipe it away again before he noticed Stan watching them. The look didn’t show rejection of any sort, but instead, Stan’s face held interest. 

 

“Are you two married?” Stan asked, the ghost of a smile on his lips. 

 

Eddie nearly choked on air. Married? Richie would never marry Eddie. 

 

“I keep asking, but Eddie doesn’t love me,” Richie faked, pretending to be heartbroken, somberly looking out to the sky like a jackass. 

 

Stan sucked his teeth in disappointment, reaching out to touch Richie’s shoulder as if to comfort him. Eddie’s eyes widened in bewilderment, at Richie’s shitty humor and Stan’s naiveness. 

 

“Are you kidding? Shut the fuck up, Richie. No, Stan, he’s joking. We’re just friends,” Eddie waved his hands, pleading Stan to understand the truth. Stan’s solemn look turned surprised, before laughing a little. 

 

“Oh, what a strange thing to joke about,” Stan for a moment paused awkwardly, before experimentally hitting Richie’s arm as Eddie had. 

 

Richie’s mouth fell in betrayal, looking between the two. He clutched his own arm, looking at the way Stan looked at Eddie for approval. 

 

“I'm supposed to do that, right?” Stan asked Eddie, who’s jaw also went ajar, but only to end up letting out a laugh. 

 

“No!”

“Yes,” Eddie and Richie answered in unison, looking over at one another. 

 

“Don’t teach him to hit me, I don’t think I can handle another Eddie hangin’ around,” Richie let it slip, and Eddie’s smile slowly faltered, realizing that this Stan character was technically still a stranger. 

 

Who said he’d be friends and stay around them? There are places he probably needed to be. If what Stan said was true about his father, then Stan was a prince.

 

There must be something higher in priority then two random humans who just so happened to be around the pool he was in. 

 

“How did you end up in Richie’s pool anyway?” Eddie inquired, feeling that that might just be the most important question of all. 

 

Stan’s face lost all warmth, falling stern and cold looking. 

 

“I fought with my father. He doesn’t think humans have the ability to love, and I disagreed entirely. He got so mad when I told him that I didn’t love Kel,” Stan rolled his eyes, crossing his arms as he laid flat on the towel beneath him. 

 

“Kel?” Richie quirked up.

 

“My Forced-Fiance, Kel. My father insists I marry him to unite our region with the Western region. But Kel is such a loveless being, how could I?” Stan looked into Richie and Eddie’s eyes, close to pouting. It was very cute, but Eddie’s mind stuttered before processing Stan’s words. 

 

“Him?” Richie spoke before Eddie could. In short, asking the same question. 

 

“Wait, Kel is a man?” Eddie asked, thick eyebrows knitting together. 

 

“What? No, of course not. He’s a merman,” Stan’s face screwed up into confusion as if Eddie’s question was insane. Stan, without knowing, didn’t know that his own answer was the thing that sounded strange. 

 

“I mean, Kel isn’t a female?” Eddie asked more carefully this time, resorting back to scientific labeling than species names. 

 

“Oh, no. He’s a male,” Stan said as casual as a bee is to honey. 

 

“Woah, the ocean is more progressive than land. Go figure,” Richie dryly laughed, leaning back against the railing. 

 

“Why? Is that shocking in some way?” Stan asked as he sat back up, and Eddie wished he himself could have that pure of a thought. Men marrying men and women loving women without it being controversial in society. 

 

“Are you kidding? Eddie and I both get beat up on a weekly basis just because we like boys,” Richie’s tone was serious in every way it could be, and Eddie knew the look of anger in his eyes had something to do with Bowers and his neanderthal friends. 

 

“That’s...horrible,” Stan slowly stated, his face becoming stoic as he thought through how loving someone could be looked at as a crime. 

 

“Indeed,” Richie sighed, looking at Eddie with the same face he always had after someone pushed them into lockers or hollered distasteful slurs. It was hurt, and Eddie knew talking about it further would drag Richie deeper into this mood. 

 

“Forget those people. They will pay the consequence one day,” Stan stated before Eddie could disperse the heavy air.

 

“Yeah, karma,” Eddie agreed, smiling at Stan. Stan looked into Eddie’s eyes, leaning towards him. Eddie couldn’t lie, and if he did it was never convincing: He couldn’t help but be nervous under Stan’s vixen stare. 

 

“Marvelous eyes you’ve got there,” Stan complimented smoothly, and Richie couldn’t hold back a cackle as Eddie flushed in embarrassment. 

“Thanks,” Eddie managed through the suffering heat on his cheeks. Speaking of heat, the sun was beginning to get to its highest state, burning down on them mercilessly. 

 

“Thank your genetics,” Stan said bluntly, as he looked over his tail in squinted vision. Eddie raised a brow at Richie, who looked back with a similar expression. 

 

“I should be dry by now, how am I still like this?” Stan lightly slapped the side of his tail, groaning impatiently. 

 

“Is being dry important or something?” Richie questioned, beginning to stand up on his feet. 

“Yeah, I think you maybe should get back into the water. Doesn’t your body need it?” Eddie further questioned, earning a groan from Stan that sounded more directed at his tail, since he slapped it once again. 

 

“No, I’m trying to have legs,” Stan simply said, moving his tail back and forth to dry it faster. The beautiful blue tail was smacking onto the deck over and over, as Stan glared viciously at it, demanding legs instead. 

 

Eddie jumped very slightly ever time it hit the glossed wood under them and Richie looked puzzled as he stared down at the tail himself. 

 

“Won’t you need that to get back home? Don’t wanna break yourself,” Richie laughed, shaking his head as Eddie wide-mouthed stared at how ridiculous Stan looked. 

 

The smacking noise halted as suddenly, a bright light hit Eddie and Richie’s eyes, causing them to brace the impact. That wasn’t the sun, for sure. It was nearly blinding, and as it faded away, Eddie looked back incredulously to see Stan’s tail was gone and he had long, tan legs instead. 


End file.
